The Queen’s Bedchambers and State Rooms at the Royal Palace of Naples in Italy

The Queen’s Chamber at the Royal Palace of Naples

The Queen’s bedroom in the Royal Palace of Naples, Italy

The Queen's Bedroom The Queen’s Bedroom dates from the reign of Charles of Bourbon.

It is characterised by a stunning ceiling featuring stucco putti, doves and swans set against a gold background, by Giovan Battista Natali.

It also features two paintings by Luca Giordano: “Crucifixion with the Patron Saints of Naples” and “The Plague in Naples” relating to the plague epidemic that struck Naples in 1656.

The Rotating Lectern The furniture is of Neapolitan manufacture.

Next come the rooms of the Queen’s three salons.

The Rotating Lectern in the Back Room of the Royal Palace of Naples

This rotating lectern dating from 1792 was part of the library of Queen Marie-Caroline of Austria.

Its mechanism was inspired by prototypes found in monasteries, its construction drawing on the medieval tradition of northern Europe .

This rotating lectern allowed the user to consult several books at once, each of them positioned on a reading tray that stood like a lectern in front of the reader.

The Rotating Lectern To raise the book to eye level, one simply had to turn a metal crank until one of the eight bookstands that make up the structure moved into position in front of the reader.

A small copper plaque bears the names of the craftsmen who made it, Giovanni and Uldrich, who were already working at the Royal Palace of Caserta.

This rotating lectern is in the neoclassical style and the two columns supporting the wheels that carry the eight trays are in the Doric style with capitals featuring classical lines.